WHAT HAPPENED AT HUNTLY

Chronicle (Levin), 1 April 1947, Page 8

WHAT HAPPENED AT HUNTLY

WELLINGTON, Marcli 31. In a .statement i.a.sued toclav the Minister of Mjines, Hon. A. AIcLagan, said the strike in the Huntly coalfield related to h'Ours worked by the men in wet places underground and the time that the mineys were required to work in such places' to quality for full wet tiine payment. According to reports received by the Mines Departinent, said the Minister, the dispute arose ai the Pukemiro" colliery whare one pair of miners working in a wet place cajne out before the recognised knock o£[ time notwithstanding that prior notice of warning had been given that the payment of the wet time allowance would be suspended in such circumstances. The payment of the wet time allowance to this pair of miners was suspended by tihe manager and the matter was subsequently discussed with the union but no settlemen.t could be reached. The union then claimed that a wet time allowance of two hours be paid if the men became wet within the fi.rst thr.ee hours of a shift regardless . j fhA;jtii4e ^rkedv,d» ring the b^'rdcog'nislctvai'the kiiqc'K "oh fjThf' xor "mijiers working7 in' wet places instead of 2 p.m. as laid down in the agreement. A meeting of managers of Waikato Collieries was held later and the following offer was made to the union: "That the man agers agree to pay the wet time in dispute but they ; will not agree to the 1.10 p.m. knock off, and require ' the union to cooperate in getting their men to work to the time recognised in the »ast, and that diseiplinary action be Biken against any workman who doe.s pfot abide by this rule. " Apparently this was not considered aceeptable by the miners. According to the agreement, said the Minister, men in wet places shall work six hours bank to hanlc and eacli piece rate worker shall be paid for two hours at 3s 9fd per hour. A wet place is delined as rneaning a place in which a workman cannot avoid his clothing becoming saturated with water within tluep hours of his- commenc'ing work. "It is clear from the agreement," said the Minister, "that in an ordinary wet place a miner must work six hours to qualify for the full vvet time allowance of two hours and the present claim of the union, both in regard to hours of work and for payment, is not iu accordance with the terms of the agreement under which miners are at present working ■jt'nd which was linaL , ise'd in December last year. This agreement does not expire uiltil April 30,1948. "To put it in a nutshell, the miners are claiming full wet time payment even if they' do not qualify for it by working, a full six-hour> shift and they are also claiming the right to work a shorter shift than is prescribed in their agreement. " It. is .a matter for regret, ' ' said the Minister, "that the men have decided on the course of action they have taken. I know from my own experience that in coal mining in particular it is not always possible to avoid disputes arising but there are uxetliodi whereby such disputes can be settled without a stoppage of work. Numero^s disputes arise-Ip collieries in the course of time but these are settled without a stoppage of work, by reference to 'the

local. disputes committees or to. tiu L'oal Miues Council. If the iuiners in ilig Wantato had attempte'd to settlt every dispute which, had ai'isen in tliat field during tlie past 12 mohths .by a down toOis pqlicy, there would have been very little if any coal produced duripg that period. It* -is ribvious, therefore, that under the cpnditions whereby the men are. assured of receiving a fair and just.treatnjent, their mterests as' well as The interests of the people as "a wholp, are best pro moted by a continuance of work and a reference " of , disputes which eapnot be settled local ly, to the ^Coal Mines , Council for adjudication in the ordinary way/" - -